Paddy Pimblett has compared himself to Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey following his submission victory over Rodrigo Vargas at the O2 Arena in London.

The Liverpool MMA fighter, 27, submitted the Mexican in the first round of their lightweight contest on the main card of UFC Fight Night 204 on March 19 earlier this month.

Despite the fact Irish superstar McGregor, 33, is easily one of the most recognisable sports stars on the planet, Pimblett believes he is 'the biggest name in the sport'.

In an excerpt from UFC Destined, Pimblett said: “I’m probably the biggest name in the sport.

“There’s Ronda Rousey, there’s Conor McGregor and now there’s Paddy the Baddy, lad.”

The pair are considered to be among the best mixed martial artists of all time.

McGregor has won 22 of his 28 fights and became the first two-weight champion in UFC history, while Rousey was victorious in 12 of her 14 before she made the switch to WWE.

The American became the first woman to win a championship in both the UFC and WWE. She also remains the only female to headline a pay-per-view event for both companies.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Paddy Pimblett celebrates with Molly Mccann after defeating Kazula Vargas during UFC Fight Night: Volkov v Aspinall at the The O2 Arena on March 19, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

And while Pimblett still has some way to go before he catches up to his predecessors, UFC president Dana White reckons he has all the makings of a future superstar - but the promotion won't give him an easy route to the top.

Speaking ahead of the fight, White told talkSPORT: “People love him. And now Paddy has got to get in and put in the work and win the fights. 

“People love Conor and Conor came here and did what he set out to do.

"If Paddy can get in here and win these fights, he’ll be a huge superstar.”

Former two-division world champion turned pundit Daniel Cormier also feels the same way after watching McGregor knock out Diego Brandao in Dublin back in 2014.

During a recording of the 'DC and RC' show on ESPN, he said: "You know what I think back to? I think back to Conor McGregor fighting in Ireland.

“He was young in his career, he had barely started, and he got to fight at home in front of those people, and it just elevated him.

"Right away, Conor McGregor was on his way. They strapped the rocket ship to his back, and he was to the moon.

“If Pimblett goes and does something special on Saturday, it’ll be the same type of situation.

“Like I said, the only thing missing from his debut was that massive explosion from the fans after he did what he did.

"If he can do that this weekend, he will get that and then the highlight will play over and over again.”